This invention relates to a system and method for transmitting information for amphibious traveling vehicle and a system for controlling operation of said vehicle, more specifically to an information transferring system, an information transferring method and an operation control system for the amphibious traveling vehicles, which enable to travel between land and underwater along a travel rails, to move underwater after leaving said rails as well as to assure a safe operation of such vehicles as described above.
In general, ships have been heretofore used for the purpose of sailing on the surface of waters such as sea and lakes carrying persons and cargoes, while a specific type of ships having their bottom constituted from glass or submarines for the purpose of enjoying the underwater scenes.
However, said types of ship or said submarines present such inconveniences that they can not operate in the stormy weather, thereby not to sufficiently satisfy the tourists. Further, the passengers must move to such facilities as landing piers for getting on and off said vehicles with inconveniences and dangers for passengers, which constitutes another problem.
Further, since information can not be readily transferred underwater to the outside by means of usual radio means due to a higher density of transferring medium than that of air, a more reliable and more effective information transferring means is necessary.
For eliminating such problems, the embodiment of the present invention provides an amphibious traveling vehicle which can be moved reliably and safely from on the land into the water irrespective of the weather and other bad conditions. Further, the embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method for transmitting information for amphibious traveling vehicle and a system for controlling operation of the vehicle such as said vehicle can be operated suitably with a higher safety so as to cause crew and passengers to escape reliably even in the case of troubles in the water, with information transmission carried out in a same procedure whether in the water or in the air.
For achieving the above described objects, the system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention comprises a traveling vehicle-side control system which controls the operating state of the traveling vehicle and is provided on the traveling vehicle for traveling under water or underwater and in the air, a host-side control system which instructs the system to operate the traveling vehicle and is provided separately from the traveling vehicle, and communication means which transmits information between the systems and are connected to the systems , said system being characterized in that said communication means is constituted of modulators which modulate received instruction information into light beams, demodulators which demodulate received beams of light into the instruction information and a light beam transmitter/receiver, wherein the information transmission between the systems can be performed with light beams including near infrared beam or visible light beam of green-blue color system. As a result of adopting such a construction as described above, information can be transmitted with the same process irrespective of in the water or in the air.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said light beam transmitter/receiver on said vehicle-side control system comprises light shower movable station which generates light beams in radiation manner, while said light beam transmitter/receiver on said host-side control system comprises light shower fixed station which generates light beams in radiation manner. With this construction, light beam can be radiated in a large scope, so that information transmission can be realized more reliably.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said communication means of said vehicle-side control system has connected thereto control means for controlling the operation of respective elements mounted on said traveling vehicle, while said communication means of said host-side control system has connected thereto a host-side control center for outputting operation instructions to said vehicle-side control system. With such a construction, control instruction from said control means and said host-side control center can be transmitted by means of light beams such as near infrared beam and the like.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said control means of said vehicle control system comprises decision executing means, supervising means and storing means, wherein said supervising means is formed so as to permanently supervise the actual states of respective elements mounted on said amphibious traveling vehicle and to output obtained data to said decision executing means, wherein said storing means stores therein operation contents of said control means such as communication method with said host-side control system, decision criteria and decision method of respective check lists and operation contents of said control means such as outputting method to said elements, while said decision executing means decides said respective check lists in the case of receiving instructions from said host-side control system or depending on the independent decision of vehicle side based upon programs contained in said storing means, thereby to output the decision results to said host-side control system through said communication means and to output operation instructions to said respective elements corresponding to said decision contents when receiving said operation instructions from said host-side control system or depending on the independent decision of vehicle side based upon programs contained in said storing means; and/or in that said host-side control center comprises a decision executing means, a storing means and a traveling state displaying means, wherein said storing means stores therein such operation contents of said control means as communication method with said vehicle-side control system, decision criteria and decision method of respective check lists, contents of operation instructions to respective elements based on the obtained decision results and operation contents of said control means, while said decision executing means decides said respective check lists when received various instructions from said vehicle-side control system, based upon programs contained in said storing means, thereby to output operation instructions to said respective elements corresponding to said decision results; while said traveling state displaying means displays by means of voice and images the information about decision results and instruction contents of said decision executing means and about supervising results obtained by said supervising means. By such a construction, said vehicle-side control system and said host-side control system can be more widely applied and control instructions to various elements can be transmitted by light beam irrespective of in the air or in the water.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said host-side control center has connected thereto an information unifying means for analyzing, arranging and storing various input/output information. Due to the construction as described above, enormous information and noises and the like can be smoothly processed.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that a traveling rail is laid in the water or from on the land into the water, said amphibious traveling vehicle is movably mounted on said rail, and said light beam transmitter/receivers of said host-side control system are arranged along said traveling rail so as to carry out transmission to and reception from said respective light beam transmitter/receivers of said vehicle-side control systems of said amphibious traveling vehicles. Under such a construction, said vehicle traveling along a predetermined rail can be controlled with near infrared beam and the like.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said amphibious traveling vehicle is constructed from a vehicle body moving along said traveling rail and a vehicle capsule mounted detachably on the upper side of said vehicle body, and said vehicle body and said vehicle capsule are respectively provided with said communication means and said control means of said vehicle side control system, wherein said light beam transmitter/receivers of said host-side control system are arranged in the positions where they can carry out a bilateral transmission/reception with said light beam transmitter/receiver of said vehicle capsule. By adopting such a construction, not only said movement of said traveling vehicle traveling along a predetermined rail, but also the movement of said vehicle capsule separated from its vehicle body can be controlled independently.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said amphibious traveling vehicle is constructed from a vehicle body moving along said travel rail and a vehicle capsule mounted detachably on the upper side of said vehicle body, and said vehicle body and said vehicle capsule are respectively provided with said communication means and said control means of said vehicle side control system, wherein said vehicle body is provided with control means and communication means for transmitting by light beams the operation instruction information transmitted from said host-side control system to said vehicle capsule which has left said vehicle body. By adopting such a construction, the movement of said vehicle capsule can be controlled through said vehicle body without providing light beam transmitter/receiver of said host-side control system wide area.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said light beam transmitter/receiver connected to said vehicle-side control system and said light beam transmitter/receiver connected to said host-side control system comprise a pair of light beam transmitter/receivers constituted from a light beam transmitter/receiver for control use to transmit and receive control light beam concerning to operation control of said amphibious traveling vehicle and a light beam transmitter receiver for voice and images to transmit and receive light beams for voice and images. By this construction, both information concerning to control instruction and information concerning to voice and images can be respectively carried out smoothly.
Said system for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle is characterized in that a radio LAN transmitter/receiver is connected to the control means of said vehicle-side control system, wherein transmission of instruction information from said host-side control system in the case of said amphibious traveling vehicle traveling on the land and on the water surface is carried out by means of selected one of light beams or radio LAN. Under such a construction, it is possible to select the most suitable information transmitting means corresponding to the environment in the water or on the land of said traveling vehicle.
Said method for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle between a vehicle-side control system for controlling the operation state of said vehicle traveling in the water or in the water and in the air and a host-side control system for outputting the vehicle operation instruction to said vehicle side control system, said method is characterized in that a modulator for modulating received instruction information into light beam signals, a demodulator for demodulating received light beam signals into instruction information and a communication means equipped with light beam transmitter/receiver is connected respectively to said vehicle-side control system and said host-side control system, wherein information transmission between said control systems are performed through light beams including near infrared beam or visible light beam of green-blue color system. Due to adoption of such a method, information can be transmitted with the same method irrespectively of in the water or in the air.
Said method for transmitting information of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention, said method is characterized in that for transmission of information, said vehicle-side control system and said host-side control system radiate respectively light beams in a light shower manner. By adopting such a method, a larger range of information transmission can be carried out by means of light beam.
Said operation control system of amphibious traveling vehicle wherein a travel rail is laid to extend from on the land into the water, said amphibious traveling vehicle is movably mounted on said rail, and said vehicle is provided with an emergency escaping device for separating said vehicle capsule from said vehicle body in an emergency, said system is characterized in that said system comprises a traveling vehicle-side control system which controls the operating state of the traveling vehicle and is provided on the traveling vehicle for traveling under water or underwater and in the air, a host-side control system which instructs the system to operate the traveling vehicle and is provided separately from the traveling vehicle, and communication means which transmits information between the systems and are connected to the system. By adopting such a construction, said amphibious traveling vehicle can be moved from on the land into the water reliably and safely irrespective of weather or other conditions.
Said operation control system of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that the communication means of said vehicle-side control system has connected thereto control means for controlling the operation of respective elements mounted on said vehicle body and said vehicle capsule, while said communication means of said host -side control system has connected thereto a host-side control center for outputting operation instructions to said vehicle-side control system. By adopting such a construction, information transmission with said amphibious traveling vehicle can be smoothly carried out, thereby to move said vehicle e reliably and safely.
Said operation control system of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said control means of said vehicle control system comprises decision executing means, supervising means and storing means, wherein said supervising means is formed so as to permanently supervise the actual states of respective elements mounted on said amphibious traveling vehicle and to output obtained data to said decision executing means, wherein said storing means stores therein operation contents of said control means such as communication method with said host-side control system, decision criteria and decision method of respective check lists and operation contents of said control leans such as outputting method to said elements, while said decision executing means decides said respective check lists in the case of receiving instructions from said host-side control system or depending on the independent decision of vehicle side based upon programs contained in said storing means, thereby to output the decision results to said host-side control system through said communication means and to output operation instructions to said respective elements corresponding to said decision contents when receiving said operation instructions from said host-side control system or depending on the independent decision of vehicle side based upon programs contained in said storing means; and/or in that said host-side control center comprises a decision executing means, a storing means and a traveling state displaying means, wherein said storing means stores therein such operation contents of said control means as communication method with said vehicle-side control system, decision criteria and decision method of respective check lists, contents of operation instructions to respective elements based on the obtained decision results and operation contents of said control means, while said decision executing means decides said respective check lists in the case of receiving instructions from said vehicle-side control system, based upon programs contained in said storing means,thereby to output operation instructions to said respective elements corresponding to said decision results; while said traveling state displaying means displays by said supervising means by means of voice and images the information about decision results and instruction contents of said decision executing means and about supervising results obtained. By adopting such a construction, said host-side control system can reliably control said amphibious traveling vehicle, thereby to assure a safe operation control in the water and on the land.
Said operation control system of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said host-side control center has connected thereto an information unifying means for analyzing, arranging and storing various input/output information. By adopting such a construction, enormous information and noises and the like can be processed, thereby to carry out reliably the control of said amphibious traveling vehicle.
Said operation control system of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said emergency escaping device comprises a capsule holding mechanism for holding integrally said vehicle capsule and said vehicle body and for releasing this holding state in an emergency, a wire coupling said vehicle body and said vehicle capsule, and resistance applying means provided on said vehicle body for limiting the withdrawn quantity of said wire. By adopting such a construction, when any trouble is produced during traveling of the vehicle body in the water, the passenger can be allowed to reliably escape from the vehicle, leading to a remarkably enhanced safety.
Said operation control system of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said communication means consists of a modulator for modulating instruction information received from said vehicle-side control system and said host-side control system into light beam signals, a demodulator for demodulating received light beam signals into instruction information and a light beam transmitter/receiver, and in that information transmission between said control systems are performed through light beams including near infrared beam or visible light beam of green-blue color system. By adopting such a construction, said amphibious traveling vehicle can be controlled reliably irrespective of in the water or in the air.
Said operation control system of amphibious traveling vehicle according to the present invention is characterized in that said light beam transmitter/receiver on said vehicle-side control system comprises light shower movable station which generates light beams in radiation manner, while said light beam transmitter/receiver on said host-side control system comprises light shower fixed station which generates light beams in radiation manner. By adopting such a construction, a wider range of beam radiation is obtained thereby to more reliably control said vehicle with light beam as information transmitting medium.